Man, 70 and Woman, 60 Arrested For Marijuana In SWAT Team Raid

Sometimes, you just have to say “That’s Prohibition” and sadly shake your head. A 70-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman have been arrested after a SWAT team raid uncovered a small amount of marijuana in their home in Austin, Texas.

The entire sorry incident began when search warrant for a West Austin home led to marijuana charges for two people, reports KVUE.com. A “concerned citizen” (yeah, one of those) made a call to the cops about “narcotics” at a home on Willowbridge Circle, according to Austin Police Department Narcotics Officer Nordstrom.

A search warrant was obtained due to the snitch and the APD SWAT team descended on the home just after 6 a.m. on Thursday, all Rambo’d out in their tactical outfits, feeling tough and significant and maybe, for just a few brief moments, as if their sad pointless lives meant something despite the fact that they have the singular lack of judgment to choose as their vocation a job which involves conducting armed raids on peaceful, elderly people for using a harmless plant.

Four terrified people were inside the home. Two of those people, the 70-year-old male and the 60-year-old female, were charged with marijuana possession and issued citations.

That’s where the story would have ended, in previous years. But that was before the public’s disgust with the rank stupidity of the quixotic War On Marijuana had reached the level of outrage. And that was before the internet allowed immediate public feedback when public employees — for example, the Austin Police Department — does really stupid things.

Yes, that’s where the comment section comes in.

“So pathetic,” offered commenter Paul Saladino of Houston. “Acevedo lies again.” Saladino then shared that Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said, just last September, “You know, what you do in your home and the privacy of your home is great. We could care less, as long as you’re not selling the stuff and growing it for everybody else. Just don’t drive. Don’t drive, that’s all I ask.”

Referring to Chief Acevedo’s September 2012 statement, commenter Nate Bright said, “I wonder, could these people get the charges dropped if that recording was submitted as evidence they were given the ‘go ahead’ to use marijuana in their own homes? How does the APD obtain a search warrant based on hearsay from a ‘concerned citizen’?

“This is really how APD is spending, ahem I mean wasting our money?” chimed in Steven Van Orden, a realtor at Pauly Presley Realty in Austin. “Charging the elderly with marijuana possession at 6 a.m. Art Acevedo and the APD should be ashamed of themselves.”

“A judge issued a warrant, mind you, with the probable cause being the mere assumptions of a nosy, snooping, bored housewife,” commented Ted Dannerth, vice president of sales and marketing at Austin-based Barbo. “If this isn’t a sign of the times, then I don’t know what is. Please share this on your walls so people can see that the government is kicking doors down now on a whim.”

“The problem is MOSTLY the nosy neighbors, but I’m still going to go ahead and laugh at the cops in their military gear raiding a house full of old people in Tarrytown,” commented Frank Humungus of Austin. “Strap on your M-16, your riot helmet, and your clown shoes, you dorks.”

“Who ever was in charge of this operation ought to pay the cost of this operation out of his next paycheck,” opined Amy Fowler. “It is an outrage that APD wasted taxpayer funded resources in this operation. Why don’t they investigate the crack/hooker hotel on South Congress, instead of someone smoking a joint in his house?”

“Hello, I heard a rumor that the moon is made of Swiss cheese… others say it’s an old moth ball,” commented Timothy Abbott of Austin. “Please spend the tax payers’ money chasing this down.”d

“Add up how much it costs to put a SWAT team on the playing field, again, and send the bill to the neighborhood snitch, too,” Abbott added. “I live in the highest crime area in Austin. We have break-ins daily around here… and you send a WAT team over to bust two old hippies?”

“Sounds like somebody had nothing to do yesterday but tattletale on their neighbors, so that today, two people’s lives could be disrupted,” commented Johnnie Wright Lewis, owner/author/illustrator at The Five Finger Paragraph.

“Another waste of tax dollars on a PLANT,” said Toni Ann Hanskett-Mills. “Ignorance once again shining through.”

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Awesome website you have here but I was curious if you knew of any
discussion boards that cover the same topics discussed in this article?
I’d really like to be a part of group where I can get feed-back from other experienced individuals that share the same interest.
If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Appreciate it!

Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon everyday. It’s always exciting to read articles from other writers and use a little something from other websites.

josh cannabis sativa™

MARIJUANA!!!

Craig Denison

GoGet’em, Willie!!! from an old friend…

CannabisAmbassador

The addiction to adrenaline is stronger than to opium. Our society supports their addiction and rewards them for their aggression. Until we change as a society, this is what we produce. We should retire the prison guards, and the police and hire people that were not trained to go to war and kill to be community police to protect and SERVE. Dont worry about blame or whose fault, lets just 86 the present system and start over.

Too late — MARIJUANA became a part of our culture more than 50 years ago. I will continue writing and talking about MARIJUANA for the rest of my life. 🙂

I’m a writer. Never tell me how to do my thing. If I were a painter, would you tell me which colors to use?

BACK OFF.

CannabisAmbassador

Yep, its no different than the concentration camps and the SS taking everything after the homeowners were shipped off to the camps.

CannabisAmbassador

They will take everything from them. The law says that the police/DEA can take the house, bank accounts, cars, everything. They are picking them off the street just like during the Holocaust, and we all watch, Anyone of us could be next. The charges dont even have to be true. Their lives are ruined, and your right they are terrified. They will endure beatings, and bad food. Oppression and fear is the name of the game in the concentration camps.

CannabisAmbassador

/STANDING APPLAUSE

CannabisAmbassador

Steve, 502 says that we can no longer grow, heavy fines for that after the implementation of 502. We have to keep it legal for people to be independent in their own health care, and to have fresh access to sprouting, juicing and making cannabis oil. Its a nutrient that we need from birth until we cease to exist. Its not about getting high, its about getting your body what it needs BEFORE YOU GET CANCER. WE ARE ALL MEDIA WASHED THAT CANNABIS IS ONLY FOR HEALING. ITS A NUTRIENT WE ALL NEED TO STAY HEALTHY.

CannabisAmbassador

/standing applause

CannabisAmbassador

Your right its about the raid, the bust and the rush, its their choice of drugs.

CannabisAmbassador

Thank you Craig, and Jay, if you dont agree, use your words to make up sentences to communicate your thoughts. Your 6 letter attempt does not relay much. I will stop here.

CannabisAmbassador

Jay, that is kinda out of line, I really did not say much…kinda narrow minded to say Shut Up, I expect that from Christian Zealots, but here in a cannanbis discussion, hmmmm are you a cop?

CannabisAmbassador

I know you have shown that article before. I think it boils down to a synoptic view of the whole history, the cancer and sickness deaths and all the domestic POW’s that have resulted from the War on Drugs including /grrrr marijuana.

Cannabis is life giving and a nutrient we need. I still will not participate in this Steve, its your right to continue to use the M word, and its my right to try and get people to not use it anymore. Its important people understand what the government did to us, and I am not going to allow them to get away with this, by allowing an absorption of their media washing word.

CannabisAmbassador

Hey Steve,
I know you feel that way and we have had this discussion before, but just because everyone has been mediawashed into the “Marijuana Mentality,” does not mean that I have to flow with that. Its cannabis, and as I have said before, Marijuana was the gov word used to pull this democide over on the american people, and I am not going to participate in it by using the M word. Even if everyone has accepted it, I am still not going to do it. “BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE!” Gandhi

CannabisAmbassador

Greetings Craig, First, healing is a descriptive word as used in this narrative, “Healing Cannabis.” Cannabis Does a body good. Cannabis is a healing agent for the human body, both male and female.
I understand that they were arrested for the trim.

Craig Denison

She has the same right to speak her mind as you do to tell her to shut up. I don’t tell my dogs to “shut up”, I say “hush”, d’ya think she deserves the rudeness?

Craig Denison

If nothing else, you may call it”poetic license”, Keep on Truckin’,Steve!

Craig Denison

Dear Ms. Hartwell, I reckon you know that marijuana contains 37 cannaboids. According to botanical nomenclature Cannibis is the genus name, sativa is a specific epitaph, or species name, as is indica, and they are commonly known as marijuana. They were raided for possesing the vegetation labeled as it’s common name, not it’s taxonomic name. As far as technicalities, you say they were arrested for healing cannibis? How does one heal cannibis? Sevin dust, to fight spider mites and worms? Last but not least, I am on your side, “Smoke pot, smoke pot, everybody smoke pot, Martha, get the shotgun, they’ve got Paul!” Anyone else remember that? -Still smokin’ in Sunny So. Cal…

Craig Denison

AMEN!!!

Kathy Stuart

It shouldn’t be hindsight at all. Before an armed raid is to be conducted the standards used to be that there would be intelligence from the scene by someone who is observing the residence and there should have been a document search so that the cops know who lives in the house. That kind of search only takes a few minutes.
These goons just wanted to get their freak on. Thankfully no one was hurt and no dogs were killed.
I would like to know since when a simple finger pointing by….whomever: pissed off neighbor, ex, landlord, etc. is enough for a judge to issue a warrant, especially one which entails the use of a SWAT team. Someone’s job should be on the line for this kind of abuse of power.

Cleve Hughes

I can not see anymore of our tax dollars be waisted on something that hasn’t work from the get go ; so unless we do something soon we will be throwing good money away on one of the biggest waist of money there is and lets not forget all those poor brothers and sister who are not crocks ; just everyday people that like to smoke a plant that can help damn near what ever ails you; stand up ; be heard , you don’t have to smoke ; you might be healthy ; but it’s still your money that is being waisted ; people in jail ; lets face it ; someone high is a lot easyer to catch ; than someone who broke laws that could hurt themselves as well as others

Bob Stickel

Overkill isn’t even the word for it Nick. They ought to beat their snoopy neighbors ass. That’s part of today’s problems. People just can’t seem to mind their own business. Let’s just say I heard you smoked weed. As long as your not hurting my family I don’t care if you burn a number every 10 minutes. It’s none of my business. I’ll treat you like you treat me. You want to burn one while we’re talking go for it. Your not hurting me. People, mind your own fucking business. There’s enough bullshit in the world without your 2 cents. And if I have offended anyone, keep it to yourself. Since I returned home from 2 tours in Vietnam, I don’t really care.

Debra Edwards

If they would focus on the REAL drugs that cause problems for society..aka..meth, crack, heroin..and even script med abuse, not the medicine I use daily to be able to even type, this let alone wipe my own ass, as I have degenerative joint disease in my hands..aka my hand joints will be gone before I’am 52…and I’am a writer..my career/college only goes on because of my medication and disability services. Cannabis lets me enjoy my life, my family, my pets and my career. Keep me a PRODUCTIVE, TAX paying citizen. I should be able to do this with out fear or retaliation from my own government. I once had a $14, 989.00 tax bill. I paid it in full on timde..so please legalize my medicine. Nothing else works. My son-in-law can tell when I’ve taken my medicine…because I can actually work my veggie garden and he doesn’t have to. Book I’am working on for 1 year now ..is “How Cannabis works for me..and my hands!”

Jason

Smarten up……cant fault those guys for wanting to go home safe….BS….why couldn’t they have gone out and just knocked on the door…surely they could find out that elderly people lived there with alittle common sense…..Damn man you smarten up and most of us pot head hippies just would like to be left alone and maybe get some pain relief in the process.

Joe Smoe

Here is proof, even people who do not smoke pot are more stupid and dangerous than people who do.:)

FireitupKansas Legalize

“Stupidity once again shining through.”

Travis Warren

THAT IS FUNNY AS HELL!!

Travis Warren

FINALLY, some1 on here got that reference, “could care less”…I thought I was the only person who ever noticed the way that phrase is always used in that incorrect manner..But I don’t have a brain tho, because I smoke cannabis COPPZ R STOOOPID

Travis Warren

What’s next? why in the world would a SWAT team be needed to serve a simple warrant on an elderly couple who wants to partake in a plant that grows wild on almost every continent on Earth? What would happen if I was a “concerned citizen” who “suspected” my local police chief or court judge was smoking weed in their own home????? I can GUARANTEE YOU that no SWAT TEAM would kick THEIR door in! Why can a warrant even be issued on HEARSAY anyway? Does this make any sense to anyone? because it sure doesn’t to me..WTF

lee…lea

i just shared and created an account and my message disappeared….Basically

God made it all…..His word states…..” Don’t call anything I made bad for it all has a Purpose”….It Eliminates Inflammation…which eliminates Disease…which Eliminates Pain…..It does not bind up the Liver, nor is it Addictive, Or Harmful, or Posin… if you mix it with a posin …such as Cigarettes, then it causes a Paradox thus creates posin…shock to your system…because cigarettes are not pure…they are filled with over a 1001 different Toxic posins………
I hope my other post shows up maybe it will bring Understanding as well…:)
lea

Sabrina Veasey Flynn

Damn right!

lazychuck

absolutely! Only reason pot is illegal is because they don’t want HEMP on the market

lazychuck

I agree with MOST of that. Considering the way the “tip” came in, I think the cops KNEW DAMN WELL that the people in the house were “older”.

TheTruthSux!

Fk the cops!….they all walk around like they all got 12 in dicks in thier pants, just cuz they have a little shield, a pair of cuffs, and entire Goon squad to back’em up encase they don’t get their way…… With Public “Protectors” like them, who needs enemies?! But i guess that’s what America has come to……

“If a leader hearkens unto lies, then all of his servants are wicked too” (from somewhere in the bible.)

Craig Denison

I smoke pot, have a prescription for it, was a hippie ’til I found they were pacifists, don’t care to declare loyalty to any political party, God Bless America, and God Damn Obama and his cronies, including the Bush Monarchy, and Lord, Bless and Protect our servicemen and Loyal Americans who want our Constitution back, protect us from the politicians who sold out/are selling out our country so the Tri-lateral Commision can rule the world the way they’re trying to mold it, and last, but not least, BUY MORE BULLETS!!!

Craig Denison

They’re the biggest gang of all, and they have the best drugs, too!

Craig Denison

This is a damn hard-up for action scenario, poor swat needs the publicity of being badass cops- well, here it is, folks, I am at least happy that they didn’t find the need to kill a couple people for “occifer safety”, Yeah, they’re bad, so bad they should be disbanded and sent back to kindergarten to start over, COP Acevedo, can’t you find anywhere else in Austin to have fun? Ask Willie if you can come over and learn how to become a human being, you’ll sleep better and reduce your chances of spending eternity with the devil!

Craig Denison

The affadavit for the warrant should have specified who and what the victims of this raid were, shame on the judge who signed this warrant, ‘specially if it is one of one hundred blank warrants he signed in advance!!!

josh cannabis sativa

…

Steve Bristol

I hear that EVERY house in the US has SOMETHING illegal in it. I think I’ll call every NARCO GOON SQUAD POLICE STATION in every town and city in the country and report it. In my estimation, that would be approximately 125,000,000 search warrants that would have to be issued. That’ll keep the fucking pigs and crooked judges busy for awhile. So that’s fair warning! You all hide your pot and stuff. I don’t have to worry!!! I live in Washington State where pot is legal and at least 55% of the state’s citizens have a BRAIN!

OR could teach TX a few things on amicable coexistence. Hell, even NJ needs to be “learned”, but as liberated as I once thought Austin was, I doubt this behavior would occur anywhere in these parts. Peace!

Atrevista

I deliver food in Austin, hardly a day goes by without someone opening their door and a cloud of pot smoke coming out. Old, young, all races and income levels.

Jersey Guy

Willie Nelson, please take the lead here and OCCUPY AUSTIN with your bus! The smokin’ seniors need protection from these gun slingers. ENOUGH already!!!

VocalLocalYokel

Yes, by all means wage a war on legalized domestic terrorists on the soap box and at the ballot box. But you better start at the top. How many of you leftist hippie potheads voted for the Terrorist In Chief Chairman Obama and his sidekick Commissar Holder? The states are finally beginning to come around, slowly but surely. But for some reason, the liberal progressive forward thinking “hope n change” dude is still completely committed to waging the failed war on drugs. Funny how much he and Bush really have in common, but that’s another conversation.

For the record, I am 100% in favor of the legalization of marijuana and the reduction and release of non-violent drug offenders. But you guys act like its the SWAT teams that write the legislation and the policies. Sorry, but I can’t fault those guys for wanting to go home safe at the end of their shifts. We all have the luxury of hindsight in knowing there was an elderly couple behind that door…after the fact. Smarten up.

SUCK IT!

This is total Bullshit! PROHIBITION SUCKS! That is all!

sarah

shocking they must have been terrified

kentuckywoman2

Obviously that was said tongue-in-cheek. It would probably not be a fruitful endeavor to actually wage a physical battle against these legalized domestic terrorists. But there are other ways to wage a war, via legislation, elections, etc. These stories are getting more and more frequent. Cops generally escalate situations and cause needless violence and loss of life. They’ve killed innocent people. And it’s happening more and more. At some point, people will get sick of the abuse and terrorism inflicted on society by terrorist cops. There needs to be MAJOR policy changes, is basically what I’m saying.

Betty Haines

They just want the Money,that’s what it’s all about MONEY so sad

johnbuoy

Cops have no one to blame but themselves for their nasty reputations as bullies and idiots. They earn those titles. Protect and serve is NOT in their vocabularies. Next time I’m in trouble, I’m calling a hippie.

Lolly

How dare Acevedo flash the Shaka Bra/Hang Loose sign in that picture! That’s like an Nazi SS officer flashing the peace sign. 🙁

portland lynne

wow!! Texas is NUTS! I feel confident that they’d be surprised at just WHO in Austin has a little toke going on. I’m always surprised to see the people who come into the dispensaries here in Portland, OR. Thankfully, our cops could care less if we smoke, even in public. Anyway, there are a LOT of people in their 60’s and 70’s coming in all the time and they look respectable, upstanding, and normal. hhmmmm…..THEY ARE Respectable, upstanding and normal, have had the same job for 30-40 years, pay their taxes and MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS!! I do love Portland!

seagurl

Waging a civil war on those who are terrorizing us is my gut reaction too, BUT…..then what ? A huge civilization with NO ONE IN CHARGE? A scarier place than even now. What we need is groups who discuss and submit plans and involve government in ways that we feel that our SYSTEMs need to change. Real commitment and intelligent discussions (that have nothing to do with politics or liberals or conservatives), where citizens could take a system (like the current lobby system that is allowed and at the bottom of a lot of the things wrong with this country). We take it and study it to see how it works, invite speakers who have been lobbyests, and spend 6 months learning about it. Then we can speak and think intelligently about it. We can invite the whole area and involve anyone who will. We can draft changes to the current system and campaign for that, instead of for one more politician.

seagurl

All of the laws against cannabis are laws against big oil’s competition (hemp) really, aren’t they ? The government does not care if we are all high. But if we were all high and growing hemp, we could put big oil out of business. I have felt like that is the motive for many years for delaying and keeping the growing of hemp illegal. 6% of the US planted in industrial hemp would provide enough energy for the entire US, and big oil would be a memory, as would pollution, world hunger and clear cutting. There are too many political fingers in the pies of big oil and lumber from generations who made their fortunes in it. Hemp is the real fear. Marijuana is the “smoke screen”, no pun intended.

Ruby Lea

What was the snitch pissed cuz they wouldn’t share or sell. Fing pathetic

“Marijuana” is been appropriated by the cannabis culture, the way the “n” word has been appropriated by African Americans, and the way the “b” word has been appropriated by women.

I will continue to use it — it is a beautiful word. Don’t EVER tell a writer “you can’t use this word” or “you can’t use that word” — that’s like telling a painter he can only use certain colors.

And if you insist, you’ll get told to bugger off.

Steve Elliott ~alapoet~

Hear, here!

Nick Brewer

Wage war on the cops?? You are a idiot. I will agree this was major overkill for such a minor offense.

Dav Leeder

to the lady witht he radical idea that the name of the plant actually causes any concern is ridiculous… it’s not marijuana it’s cannabis is like saying its not tobacco it’s nicotiana or solanaceae… see ridiculous… the name holds only the power we give it.

Dr.007 ‘Roger’ Gardy

Bored Housewife a ‘C**t, For That…Typical UN-Informed People!!!

kentuckywoman2

Perhaps it’s time to wage a Civil War on the people who are SUPPOSED to be protecting us – but are TERRORIZING us instead! Cops = Domestic Terrorists.

Judith A Bradley

This is so scary to see ….beyond overkill this is out and out using the fear factor and it is a shame we are in debt and they don’t care ….this had to cost a small fortune . This keeps up we will not know what country we live in anymore . I find these post on a daily basis. They remind me of little boys playing dress up ….Americans should be concern this is just not right ….I am thankful these people did not get killed or hurt by these men like some I have seen ….

Breezy Keefer

LEO intervention is for life and death situations and even then, trust yourself not the pigs…. weed folks callin pigs down on weed folks literally makes me wanna puke.

Harry

THEY LOOK LIKE BAFFOONS!!!

gonzo007

YOU CAN TELL THEY ARE ASSHOLES,JUST LOOK AT THEIR HAIRCUTS,GOMER

kalizhada

These guys who serve the various PD’s are trained not to think beyond what they are ordered to, they are the same automatons who served in military service where they were ordered to protect poppy fields and kill innocent people without question. As long as they get to suit up and carry a weapon they will continue to serve blindly against the will of good society and common sense.

mikegino

Pussy cops are everywhere!

LC

Here’s the problem! The chief doesn’t know how to speak in a grammatically correct manner: “We could care less, as long as you’re not selling the stuff and growing it for everybody else. Just don’t drive. Don’t drive, that’s all I ask.” So, apparently he DID care. If he didn’t, he would have said “we could not care less.” So, technically, he’s not a liar, just a jerk

Stacy N Sherri Norton

The great American tax dollars @ work AGAIN!!!!! Why not bring in the whole army!!! LOSERS!!!!!

CannabisAmbassador

Please please stop using the governmental media washing control word, the “M” word. ITS CANNABIS. They were raided for healing cannabis. Its important, some older people think they are two different things.

I am so faxing over a letter, this is not acceptable.
Anakka Hartwell
Author The Genocide Chronicles
Removing nutritional cannabis from us is tantamount to genocide against us.

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